Index clip

ABSTRACT

AN INDEX CLIP INCLUDING A TAB FOLDED OVER ON ITSELF TO PROVIDE DEPENDING LEGS AND HAVING A SPRING CLIP FASTENED THERETO WHICH INCLUDES CROSSED RESILIENT LEGS OUTSIDE THE TAB LEGS AND A CONNECTING CROSS BAR RECEIVED THEREBETWEEN AND SPACED FROM THE FOLDED OVER TOP EDGE TO PROVIDE AN INDEX TAB RECEPTIVE OF WRITING THEREON OR A TYPED INSERT THEREWITHIN.

Jan. 26, 1911 g, VERGUSON 3,557,475

1mm our Filed July 29, 1968 lNVliN'l UK [e0 5. l ezyason United States Patent 3,557,475 INDEX CLIP Leo E. Verguson, 2333 W. Lincoln, Birmingham, Mich. 48009 Filed July 29, 1968, Ser. No. 748,345 Int. Cl. G09f 3/20 US. Cl. 4016.6 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An index clip including a tab folded over on itself to provide depending legs and having a spring clip fastened thereto which includes crossed resilient legs outside the tab legs and a connecting cross bar received therebetween and spaced from the folded over top edge to provide an index tab receptive of writing thereon or a typed insert therewithin.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the past, clips and fasteners of different types and shapes have been used to hold papers together and index tabs have been used to mark places in notebooks, or file dividers, etc. Usually, such index tabs have been attached permanently to a divider or index page so that removal of the tab was not possible without damage. Obviously, this marking method was not suitable for reference books or for temporary use. Loose bookmarks have been used as markers but they get lost and dont identify the item being marked.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a combination of a spring clip and an index tab so constructed as to fulfill many useful purposes.

The index clip of the present invention comprises, in combination, a folded transparent or transulcent plastic or like film material and means for holding the film to a sheet of paper or other material in such a way that it may be readily placed on the edge of a sheet of paper or a divider and removed therefrom without damage to itself or the member to which it is attached. The holding means is made so that a tab of the film, and pocket, if desired, protrudes beyond the edge of the sheet, and the exposed surface permits writing thereon, the ready adhesion of labels thereto, or, as mentioned, includes a recess which permits insertion of labels of suitable size.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a plan view of the index clip installed over a sheet of paper with typed label retained in the recess provided therefor.

FIG. 2 is a side end view of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the index clip With a name printed on the exposed surface of the tab.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention is called an index clip and is useful as an indexing and locating device. It includes a translucent film material 1 which is folded over on itself so that it may be readily placed over the edge of a sheet of paper 2 or other material. A spring clip 3 is formed with crossed legs and fastened to the folded film so that the legs are outside the film and in such a way that with gentle force. the assembly may be readily pushed over the edge of a sheet of paper. The ends of the film are of unequal length so that the longer leg 4 may easily be placed behind or under the sheet and by a slight lifting of the index clip, the shorter leg 5 will readily slide over the top or front side of the sheet 2. The inside 6 of the folded film is engaged with the sheet of paper and a slight pressure, as by finger 7, on the folded end 8 of the index clip will easily move it onto the sheet 2 until a stop 9 is reached.

The stop is provided by the cross bar 9 of the clip 3 or its attachment to the film. Although the use of staples 15 is shown, it attachment may be made with cement, heat, stitching with wire or thread or by other means. The spring clip 3 holds the index tab tightly in place on one or more sheets and the index clip may be removed by pulling the clip away from the sheet or sheets on which it is mounted. The placement and removal do not damage the sheet or the clip in any way.

The index clip is constructed in such a way that, when properly placed on an edge of the sheet against the stop 9 the folded ends of the film protrude beyond the edge of the paper and provide a tab 10 for locating and identifying purposes. The outside of the folded film, or at least the tab thereof, has an exposed surface 11 which permits writing thereon and the ready adhesion of labels thereto. The tab also has a recess 12 which permits insertion of and serves to retain a label 13 of suitable size on which a legend may be written, typed or printed.

With the clip in place, the sheet is readily legible through the translucent or transparent film. The spring clip 3, being very small in relation to normal printing 14 or writ ing. presents no obstacle to reading.

The index clip described herein has a number of useful functions, such as: bookmark, locating and identifying device for use in books or files, sorting clip, routing slip and many others that will be apparent from the description.

Many variations of this basic design could be contrived to serve the same functions and it is the intent of this application to include these variations.

I claim:

1. In an index clip the combination of at least a translucent tab-like body and resilient clip means engaged thereto for holding said tab-like body in engagement with a sheet of paper or the like for ease of installation and removal by the application of slight force and without damage to itself or to said sheet, said tab-like body being comprised of relatively flexible sheet-like material of substantial width formed to have first and second generally parallel legs and a bight portion interconnecting and integrally joining said first and second legs to each other, said resilient clip means comprising a spring clip having a main body portion of a length approximating said width of said sheet-like material, a first resilient leg having a first free end and a second end joined to one end of said main body portion, a second resilient leg having a first free end and a second end joined to a second end of said main body portion, said first and second resilient legs being bent with respect to said main body portion so as to be normally in crossed relationship to each other and to be resiliently abuttingly engaging each other at such a point where said resilient legs cross each other, said spring clip being positioned with respect to said tab-like body as to have said main body portion contained between inner opposed surfaces of said legs of said tab-like body and having its longitudinal axis substantially parallel to said bight portion, said first resilient leg of said spring clip being positioned as to be substantially entirely on the outer surface of one of said legs of said tab like body, said second resilient leg of said spring clip being positioned as to be substantially entirely on the outer surface of an olher of legs of said tap-like body, said first and second resilient legs by virtue of being located on the outer surfaces of said tab-like body legs being effective to continually urge said tab-like body legs into abutting engagement with each other, said main body portion of said clip being positioned in spaced relationship to said bight portion and thereby defining an open-ended chamber extending generally between said bight portion and said main body portion and having a maximum width as measured between said opposed inner surfaces determined by the cross-sectional dimention of said main body portion, and fastening means for permanently securing said main body portion of said spring clip to said tab-like body in said spaced and parallel relationship, said first resilient leg of said spring clip passing generally about one side edge of said tab-like body and has said first free end directed generally toward an opposite side edge of said tab-like body, and said second resilient leg of said spring clip passing about said opposite side edge of said tab-like body and has said free end thereof directed generally toward said one side edge of said tab-like body.

2. In an index clip the combination of at least a translucent tab-like body and resilient clip means engaged thereto for holding said tab-like body in engagement with a sheet of paper or the like for each of installation and removal by the application of slight force and without damage to itself or to said sheet, said tab-like body being comprised of relatively flexible sheet-like material of substantial width formed to have first and second generally parallel legs and a bight portion interconnecting and integrally joining said first and second legs to each other, said resilient clip means comprising a spring clip having a main body portion of a length approximating said width of said sheet-like material, a first resilient leg having a first free end and a second end joined to one end of said main body portion, a second resilient leg having a first free end and a second end joined to a second end of said main body portion, said first and second resilient legs being bent with respect to said main body portion so as to be normally in crossed relationship to each other and to be resiliently abuttingly engaging each other at such a point where said resilient legs cross each other, said spring clip being positioned with respect to said tab-like body as to have said main body portion contained between inner opposed surfaces of said legs of said tab- 4 like body and having its longitudinal axis substantially parallel to said bight portion, said first resilient leg of said spring clip being positioned as to be substantially entirely on the outer surface of one of said legs of said tab-like body, said second resilient leg of said spring clip being positioned as to be substantially entirely on the outer surface of an other of legs of said tab-like body, said first and second resilient legs by virtue of being located on the outer surfaces of said tab-like body legs being effective to continually urge said tab-like body legs into abutting engagement with each other, said main body portion of said clip being positioned in spaced relationship to said bight portion and thereby defining an open-ended chamber extending generally between said bight portion and said main body portion and having a maximum width as measured between said opposed inner surfaces determined by the cross-sectional dimension of said main body portion, and fastening means for permanently securing said main body portion of said spring clip to said tab-like body in said spaced and parallel relationship, said fastening means comprising at least a pair of deformed staplelike members having staple legs passing through both legs of said tab-like body and at opposed sides of said main body portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,997,894 4/1935 Woodley 24-67/11 2,415,248 2/1947 Kenna et a1. 23(A) 2,827,719 3/1958 Nairn 40-23 2,957,218 10/1960 Sponsel 24261(PC)X 3,425,389 2/1969 Sacco et a1. 28l42X JEROME SCHNALL, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 40 11, 23 

